Letter: Domestic violence needs to be taken more seriously

Editor,

Domestic violence is a topic we know that exists, and yet it’s something the common person isn’t aware about how often it happens. The disturbing part about this topic is the high percentage it’s shown in our own state.

In 2011 alone there was 18,740 cases reported by law enforcement (“About Domestic Violence”). In these 18,740 cases it was reported that 6,219 children were reported on the scene. Domestic violence is a problem that has a trickle-down effect, placing a burden on more than one person’s life. One can only imagine what someone is going through during these hardships, but what’s more unsettling are the laws against the oppressor, and how few consequences they go through.

In the legal system, the time you serve (actual prison time or parole/probation) depends on the crime that was committed. Specifically in cases such as domestic violence, there are certain types of offenses that had to have happened in order to get a certain sentence.

For example, in a case they observe in which the oppressor used a weapon, if it was a threat, and if there was actual intent to harm the other person. In the state of New Mexico, battery against a household member (a current or former partner) is a misdemeanor. A misdemeanor could carry the possible sentence of up to one year in jail, a fine of $1,000 or both (“New Mexico Domestic Violence Laws”).

Thankfully, there are outreach programs for domestic violence victims and safe houses to go to, but that doesn’t help when in the back of your mind you are aware that your offender could be back out in the streets within a year.

These laws need to be stricter because the oppressor doesn’t realize how much a victim goes through. In recent data, 92 percent of women who are now homeless have experienced physical or sexual abuse at some point in their lives (“About Domestic Violence”).

Also it was reported that nearly half of the U.S. cities surveyed showed correlation to domestic violence being the primary cause of homelessness in their city (“About Domestic Violence”). The data findings describe how it actually economically affects the victim, as “victims of intimate partner violence lost almost $8 million days of paid work because the violence perpetrated against them by current or former husbands, boyfriends and dates” (“About Domestic Violence”).

Domestic violence laws need to change now, and with the help of UNM students, we can rally up together and show that we do not take these cases lightly.

Monica Nguyen

UNM student